Closer to the edge

Chapter eight-Unnatural tendencies

Jo yawned and stretched. For the moment she was afraid of falling off the couch, but then when she sat up, she realized she was in a bed. Lassiter’s bed. Panic swelled in her chest.

Oh God. How’d I get here? She wondered looking around and frantically trying to remember. But the memory evaded her. She scrambled to her feet and headed into the living room. Lassiter was sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the TV screen. She looked at the clock. It was eight AM.

“Lassiter?” she asked cautiously stepping toward him. Once she reached him, she gently extended her hand out and touched his shoulder. At her touch, he jumped as though he’d been touched by live wire. “Oh God I’m so sorry!” she apologized frantically feeling her heart racing madly in her chest. “Are you alright?”

“What time is it?” he grunted rubbing his eyes.

“Eight,” Jo said frowning. “You were staring at the TV like you expected it to talk to you.”

“Oh,” Lassiter grunted. “I stayed up to make sure nothing else happened.”

Jo felt warmth filling her chest toward the grumpy detective but he needed sleep. That wasn’t healthy.

“You need sleep though,” she protested gently. “Staying up for 24 hours isn’t good.”

“I’m fine,” he grunted waving a hand dismissively as he got up and headed into the kitchen for some coffee. “Do you want eggs and bacon for breakfast?”

“Sure,” she said sitting on the stool again.

Soon the condo began smelling of cooking bacon and eggs. Her stomach grumbled hungrily. She was worried about him. He had to be tired.

“So,” Jo said softly. “What’s on the agenda for today?”

“Well first we’re going to see an ornithologist or whatever it is to see about the crow behavior,” Lassiter grumbled. “I hope O’Hara dropped it off at the precinct first otherwise we’ve got nothing.”

Irritation crept into his voice at this point and Jo ate silently. Once she was done, she got up and put the plate into the sink.

“I’ll get dressed,” she said.

Lassiter just muttered something under his breath and Jo slinked off to the bathroom. She grabbed a pair of gray sweat pants on and a white tank top along with a denim jacket. She pulled her hair into a side ponytail and fastened it with a rubber band. Some of the shorter strands hung down against her cheeks.

She slipped on a pair of white sneakers and waited patiently for Lassiter to get ready.

He dressed in a gun metal gray suit and matching silver striped tie. It set off his ice blue eyes nicely. His salt and pepper hair was neatly combed. He grabbed his Ford Fusion keys and beckoned Jo to follow him out.

Standing in the elevator was awkward but comfortable at the same time. She knew she didn’t have to indulge Lassiter in conversation. There was nothing forced there.

Once the doors whiffed open to the basement parking lot, Lassiter led her over to the black Fusion. She stopped by the back passenger side door and waited for him to unlock the car. He peered at her over the roof.

“Miss Matthews you can sit up front,” he grunted.

“Okay,” she said as she heard the familiar ‘thunk’ of the locks being unlocked and she pulled open the door. Jo easily slid onto the soft leather seat and swung her legs in, closing her door. She reached up and pulled the seatbelt on. She waited for Lassiter to get in.

Once he did, Lassiter started the car and pulled out of the garage.

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As they stopped for a red light, Jo leaned forward and peered upwards through the windshield. The sky was a pink color and the temperature dropped. She shivered and hugged herself. Each time she exhaled, she could see her breath coming out in puffs of steam. It felt like it was 30 degrees out. But what’s more, there were actually small white flurries of snow flittering to the ground and sticking to cars.

“What the hell?” Lassiter growled rolling down his window also. “Snow? We never get snow here! What is going on?”

“I don’t know,” Jo whispered. “This has to be tied to the strange things.”

She huddled into her denim jacket further and rolled up the window a bit more.

A few moments later, they pulled into the precinct. Walking up the steps to the bullpen floor, Lassiter dusted off the snowflakes from his shoulders and hair. Jo followed suit and spied O’Hara, Shawn and Gus.

“There you guys are,” O’Hara said wide-eyed. “Can you believe its snowing out?”

“Nope,” Jo said.

“O’Hara did you find an Ornithologist for that bird?”

O’Hara nodded and handed him a piece of paper.

“Yeah,” she said. “Plus I sent the bird off to the lab to be tested for any kind of disease. We’re just waiting for the results. But talking to Dr. Arnold Vase shouldn’t hurt either. Perhaps he has some insight into this too.”

“Do you wanna build a snowman?” Shawn chimed in eagerly grinning broadly.

“Let it go,” Gus said rolling his eyes but the two of them burst into laughter.

“Those two have been spitting Frozen puns for the past 15 minutes,” O’Hara said her lip twitching.

Lassiter smirked at Shawn.

“Spencer let’s play a different game shall we?” he said unbuttoning his holster where his 9mm Smith and Wesson glock was nestled. “It’s called ‘Do you wanna bury a psychic?’”

The laughter cut short and Jo found herself silently giggling at that.

“Let’s go to this Dr. Vase’s and find out what he might know,”

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By now a good solid inch had fallen on Santa Barbara, which was in a somewhat chaotic state. No one ever had to deal with snow before so the city was trying frantically to get things cleaned and squared away. Dr. Vase’s office looked like any other medical building except it was a house. Inside there were images of birds ranging from vultures, to hawks to eagles and then some. Dr. Vase was a slightly overweight man, slightly balding dressed in a pair of tan slacks, a white shirt and a sweater vest over that. He had a pair of spectacles perched on the bridge of his nose. He sat in a large leather chair in the middle of the living room.

Around him were stuffed birds from taxidermy. Rather creepy and Jo shivered. He motioned for them to sit across from him on the sofa. Lassiter declined and remained standing. Jo sat down. Shawn and Gus sat beside her on opposite ends.

“Now,” Lassiter said flipping the two halves of his suit jacket back exposing his badge and gun, which Jo figured was a deliberate move to warn the man not to play games. “Can you explain to us why those crows might be attacking Miss Matthews here?”

Lassiter had just finished explaining what had happened to Dr. Vase a few moments ago.

“Hmm,” Dr. Vase mused tapping his chin. “It is odd indeed. Crows behavior mostly centers around a group which can show intelligence.  They have been known to establish logic and even recognize humans by facial features. For them to attack this young woman like you describe, well either she had to have disturbed them in some fashion….” Dr. Vase’s voice trailed off.

“Or what?” Lassiter demanded.

“Or they were deliberately attacking her for some purpose.  Crows have been known to be an omen of death. This sounds like it was a deliberate attack.  I don’t think environmental changes or diseases had anything to do with it. I could be wrong but this sounds like something much more complicated and possibly even supernatural.”

Lassiter snorted.

“Well that was absolutely no help at all,” he scoffed rolling his eyes before glancing down at Jo. She saw him hesitate out of the corner of her eye.

“Supernatural?” she prompted the doctor leaning forward. “What do you mean?”

The doctor looked uncomfortable.

“Well, it could be that someone is controlling them,” he said slowly. “Someone has it in for you. Have you noticed the strange things occurring around Santa Barbara these past few days?”

Everyone nodded in sync.

“Yeah this isn’t normal,” Dr. Vase said shivering. “This is supernatural in deed. I have a feeling that a catastrophe is coming.”

“Well thank you for your help,” Lassiter said with a touch of sarcasm. “Let’s go O’Hara.”

Jo slowly rose to her feet. The doctor grabbed her wrist but his grip was tight, like a vice. She raised her arm to pull it free, but he held on.

“Listen girlie,” Dr. Vase said as his whole demeanor changed. “Someone clearly wants you dead. Those crows are just the beginning. I’d watch your back if I were you.”

His voice was threatening.

“Let go,” Jo said frantically struggling.

Lassiter heard her and came over. He grabbed the doctor’s arm.

“Release her,” he ordered narrowing his eyes.

The doctor obediently released her wrist and Jo cradled it against her body, glaring at the man like he was out of his tree. She gingerly rubbed the spot but she noted red burn marks in the shape of fingers. She looked back at him and she swore there was a sinister smile on his face…but his face looked odd…distorted almost. Like a monster.

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The snow had dumped at least 6 inches of snow over the entire Santa Barbara area. It had finally stopped. Sitting back at the precinct, the results of the lab had come back. The bird was clean from any diseases.

“Dammit,” Lassiter said pounding his fist on the desk. “So we’re left at square one right now with this.”

“I dunno Lassieface,” Shawn interjected. “Dr. Vase might have a point about the crows. Perhaps someone is controlling them?”

“Like some kind of pawn, Spencer?” Lassiter asked rolling his eyes. “That there are forces out there that want to kill Ingrid?”

He got four startled looks and quickly corrected himself.

“Miss Matthews,” he corrected himself hastily. “I’ve heard some of your idiotic ideas Spencer in the past but I must say this one takes the cake.”

“Carlton you have to admit, there are some strange things going on here,” O’Hara offered. “Why can’t it be something we don’t understand?”

“Because I’m not going to accept that something ‘supernatural’ is happening to Miss Matthews,” he growled. “There’s always a logical explanation!”

Jo heard shouts coming from the entrance to the bullpen. She saw people running and dodging out of the way of something. She heard growls and toenails clicking on the floor. She slowly rose to her feet as the rest of the team looked up.

“Really Lassieface?” Shawn whispered frozen in his spot. “Then what’s the logical explanation for that?”

There were three enormous wolves standing in the center of the bullpen.

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Their eyes were a bright jaundice color. They were about 200 pounds. The one in the front had its eyes locked on Jo. They were standing in a triangular pattern. Officers’ drew their guns and aimed it at the wolves. The first wolf began taking steps toward Jo. Jo’s heart was racing so hard in her chest she thought it was going to explode.

The other wolves began making small arcs around the floor but so far made no attempt to attack anyone yet. But Jo could see that the officers were on their toes, including Buzz McNab. The front wolf, which Jo guessed was an alpha, continued to slowly walk forward.

Lassiter edged in front of Jo, blocking the wolfs view of her. O’Hara had ushered Shawn and Gus behind her as well protectively. The wolf paused, and its eyes seemed to be studying Lassiter carefully, as though calculating something. The alpha was black. The other two were gray.

Lassiter’s hand was on his gun, ready to draw at the first sign of danger. Jo gently placed a hand on Lassiter’s back. At her touch, she briefly felt his body relax before tightening back up again. The wolf raised his head and sniffed the air. When its muzzle lowered, something darkened in the eyes and it pinned back its lips, exposing white canines and incisors. It let out a snarl. It charged at Lassiter.

It bowled him over. Lassiter managed to get one shot out as the wolfs jaws clamped down on his arm. Snarling and violently tugging at Lassiter’s right arm, the wolf was standing over him. Red droplets of blood began dripping onto the floor as he struggled to get the monstrous animal off him.

Shots rang out in the precinct at that point. Jo screamed and stood in horror. The two wolves took off out of the building. The last wolf finally released Lassiter’s arm and took off. People made a path for it easily. The entire bullpen was a buzz right now.

“Oh my God Carlton are you alright?” O’Hara cried as she helped her partner to his feet and sit in a chair.

Lassiter held his arm against his chest. He was bleeding badly.

“What the hell is going on?” he growled wincing. “Wolves? In the middle of Santa Barbara?”

Jo remained standing, watching everything closely. Those wolves wanted her…and Lassiter got injured helping her. She felt so responsible for this.

She hung her head.

“I’m so sorry, detective. This is my fault,” she said closing her eyes.

“No!”

“Of course not sweetie,” she heard Shawn and O’Hara’s reproving reprimands.

“No it’s not,” Lassiter groused. “None of this is your fault.”

“But those wolves wanted me,” Jo protested finally looking up at them. “You got in the way and they attacked you.”

“I was doing my job, Miss Matthews,” Lassiter grunted. “Stop blaming yourself.”

O’Hara had called 911 and got Lassiter to the hospital.

*****************************************************************************

Lassiter had gotten a rabies shot and was told to keep an eye on himself in case he had any adverse reactions. He had a bandage around his forearm. O’Hara was driving much to the chagrin of Lassiter. Shawn and Gus had headed off to check on something, leaving Jo sitting in the back of the detectives’ car, mulling over what happened. She still felt incredibly guilty.

Suddenly, Lassiter cried out in pain in the passenger seat.  O’Hara quickly pulled over to the side.

“Carlton what’s wrong?” she asked alarmed.

“My insides…they feel like they’re burning,” he winced pressing one arm against his abdomen, the other shot out and braced against the dashboard. Jo leaned forward worriedly and exchanged a concerned look with O’Hara.

“Should we go back to the hospital?” Jo asked worriedly as her heart pounded in her chest loudly.

Lassiter’s anguished grunts seemed to be subsiding and he shook his head.

“No,” he said exhaling slowly. “I’m fine.”

“Sure?” O’Hara asked him eyeing him.

“I’m fine,” he grunted. “Let’s go.”

Jo watched him take his hand off the dashboard as he leaned back against the seat now, obviously what ever had happened had stopped and he seemed okay now. But Jo’s eyes were drawn to the dashboard. A faint outline of his handprint was embedded in the blue vinyl.

****************************************************************************

Back at Lassiter’s condo, Jo was sitting on the couch dressed in one of Lassiter’s nightshirts. Her hair was pulled into a sloppy ponytail. He’d allowed her to use his laptop, which was startling but she was grateful. He’d just come out of the shower and was dressed in a pair of flannel lounge pants and a plain white undershirt. Jo felt her heart skip for a moment before she returned her attention onto the laptop screen. Lassiter sat down beside her and draped one arm across the back of the couch.

“Your heart just skipped, why?” he grunted studying her with his ice blue eyes.

Wait…did he just ask me why my heart skipped? How could he know that? Or even hear it? Jo wondered as she slowly raised her eyes to meet his.

“Huh?” she asked confused. “Oh probably when I get a little nervous or stressed it does that.” She lied. “How did you know anyway?”

Lassiter grunted and shook his head as though he’d gotten water in his ears.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “It’s just I can hear things sharper now for some reason. It’s like my senses went into over drive.”

Jo looked down at her hands.

“I still feel like that wolf wanted to hurt me…kill me even,” she said quietly.

Lassiter was silent for a while before he responded.

“Stop.” He said shaking his head. “I wasn’t about to let it hurt you…that’s my job.”

Jo managed a half smile at that.

“Yeah I appreciate that,” she said softly. “You’re my best friend also.”

Lassiter seemed to become awkward and bashful again but he cleared his throat.

“Yes…well I feel you’re my confidant as well,” he muttered. “I think we need rest right now.”

Jo couldn’t agree more. Confidant was probably as close as ‘best friend’ as she was gonna get with Lassiter but that was fine with her.

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Over the next few days, the snow hadn’t melted and the temperatures had dropped. Everyone was now walking around with coats on and gloves.

They’d gotten a report of a body drained of blood completely and were now at the crime scene.

Jo watched as Lassiter and O’Hara worked. Shawn divined some information as well, but it was Lassiter that was causing everyone to be a little weirded out.

“Something did this,” Lassiter grunted as he crouched over the body. “I can’t pick up any scent that would tell me who or what though.”

Shawn and Gus looked at each other a little uneasily.

“Scent? Buddy are you feeling okay?” Shawn prompted carefully. “You’re like not sniffing the body are you?”

Lassiter looked up at Shawn and raised a dark eyebrow at him. He was wearing sunglasses which hid his blue eyes.

“Don’t be ridiculous Spencer,” he scoffed with what Jo perceived as a roll of his eyes. “I can smell anything from a mile away. Can’t you?”

“Uh no pal,” Shawn said shaking his head slowly.

Shawn, Gus, O’Hara and Jo exchanged worried glances.

“Alright well let’s call the coroner and get an autopsy going,” Lassiter grunted as he got to his feet and pulled off the examination gloves. O’Hara nodded.

Jo studied Lassiter carefully.  There was something different about him. The way he held himself now. Confidence (not that he hadn’t had it before…but now…), and was that…sex appeal? There was something intense about him now that a few female officers that passed by him looked at him and looked him over. Jo glanced at Shawn and from the expression on Shawn’s face, she must’ve figured he’d noticed it too.

Shawn came over as well as Gus.

“Ingrid, have you noticed something off about Lassie?” Shawn whispered to her as they watched Lassiter and O’Hara talking with a coroner that had just pulled up in the van.

“Yeah,” She whispered back. “It’s like he’s got sex appeal now and there’s something else about him too.”

Shawn pretended to dry gag.

“Oh God Ingrid please don’t say the words ‘sex’ and ‘Lassie’ in the same sentence,” he said gagging openly. Gus was also.

Ingrid chuckled.

“Sorry boys but it’s the truth,” she said grinning at him.

They continued to make gagging noises which caused her to giggle and laugh at their antics. They definitely helped cheer her up a bit with everything that has been going on lately. It was frightening but at least she had some friends to back her up and she would back them up if they ever needed her help.

“But I kinda do see what you’re saying,” Gus said slowly. “He looks different…or rather seems different.”

“You’re thinking what Gus?” Shawn asked. “That Lassies…a werewolf?”

The two of them looked at each other steadily. Jo tilted her head to the side.

“Werewolf? Really?” she asked slowly frowning. “He was just bitten by ordinary wolves…not werewolves…they don’t exist.”

Shawn and Gus looked at each other again.

“But I will admit that Lassiter is definitely acting strange,” she said biting her bottom lip. “And it did seem it was after the wolf bit him…but I can’t see how that makes him a ‘werewolf’.”

“It’s fine,” Shawn said waving a hand dismissively. “We’re probably jumping to conclusions. I wouldn’t worry about it.”

Jo just frowned and got lost in her own thoughts at this point. Whatever now she had to deal with with Lassiter, it was only the icing on the weird cake at this point. But she was used to it and she could study it. Perhaps she could help him just as he’s helping her.

That is if he wanted the help.

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That night, Jo tossed in her sleep and woke up. The room was dark with shadows and the only light was the full moon hanging in the midnight sky. A few stars twinkled merrily beside it.

A cool breeze blew off the ocean and ruffled her hair. She inhaled deeply and placed her hands on the windowsill, looking out the window. In the distance she could hear the roaring of the beach. The brine scent hit her nose. Suddenly she heard the rustling of the bushes. Her eyes were lowered to the front of the house. A dark shape skulked along the bush line. As it stepped into the moonlight, Jo’s breath hitched and she raised a hand to her mouth, which had dropped open into an O of surprise. A wolf. Slinking along. But it must’ve heard her and when it raised its head, ice blue eyes stared back at her.